puskas



Nov. 12, 1929. G. PUSKAS 1,735,791

STATION INDICATOR Filed June 16, 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet l Patented Nov. 12,1929 ice 1 GYULA PUSKAS, WOODRIDGE, MANITOBA, CANADA s'rA'rIonINDICATOR.

' Application filed June 16,

This invention has reference to a station indicator for railroad orrailway cars and similar vehicles, and the primary object is theprovision of simple means which shall be automatically operated tovisibly display the name of the station at which the vehicle is to makeits next stop and likewise s0unding an alarm so that passengers willhave ample time for making proper preparations for leaving the car atthe station.

A still further object is the provision of novel means for winding thecurtain containing the names of stations from one onto the other roller,so that the said curtain is held in a taut condition, halted in itsmovement to properly display the names of stations thereon, togetherwith the actuating means for turning the rollers to move the curtain topredetermined distances.

The invention will be fully and comprehensively understood from aconsideration of the following detailed description when read inconnection with the accompanying drawings which form part of theapplication,

1 with the understanding, however, that the improvement is capable ofextended application and is not confined to the exact showingof thedrawings nor to the precise construction described and, therefore, such3 changes and modifications may be made therefrom as do not affect thespirit of the invention nor exceed the. scope thereof as expressed inthe, appended claims. In the drawings: Figure 1 is a transversesectional view through a railway or similar coach to illustrate thevapplication of the improvement therein. a V

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional view through the casing of theimprovement taken approximatelv on the line 22 of Figure 1. Figure 3 isan elevation of the casing with the door removed, the same beingapproximately on'the line'3-3 of Figure Figure 4 is an enlargedtransverse sectional view approximately on the line 4t of Figure 2. v a

Figure 5 is a detail sectional view to illustrate the switch lever inengagement with the lug or contact on the road bec 1928. Serial No.285,880.

Figure 6 is a bottom plan view of one of the stub shafts employed.

Figure 7 is a plan view of one of the ratchet mechanisms employed.

Figure 8 is a diagrammatic view of the electric circuit.

Figure 9 is a side elevation of a suflicient portion of a car toillustrate a manner in which the throw arm for the circuit mechanism maybe operated from an elevation.

In Figure 1 of the drawings, the numeral 1 indicates a coach or car thatis mounted on wheels 2 that travel on the rails 3 of a track. Secured tothe ties or sleepers of the track,'at points arranged a suitabledistance from the several stations which the car passes, there areupstanding elements in the nature of lugs 4:. One of these lugs is bestillustrated by Figure 5 of the drawings, and by reference to this figureit will be seen that the lug is in the nature of a triangular memberbeing inclined downwardly from its center to its ends.' Fixedly securedon the end of the car or coach 1, in a place where the same will beclearly visible to the occupants of the car or coach, there is thecasing 5 of the improvement. In the showing of the drawings, the casingcomprises a substantially rectangular member or box having its outer andopen face closed by a hinged door 6. Suitable latching means is providedbetween the door and the casing. The door is formed with a sightopening? and covering this opening there is a glass panel 8.

Secured to the inner face of thetop of the casing, at points adjacent tothe ends thereof, there are pairs of spaced depending spring brackets.The brackets in the front of the casingrare indicated by the numeral 9and the brackets directly to the rear of the front brackets bythenumeral 9. The angle lower end of each of these pairs of bracketshave openings for the reception of trunnions 10-10 and 10'10 for shafts1111 and 12-12, the shafts 11 being journaled in the front brackets andthe shafts 12 being journaled in the rear-brackets. The front pair ofshafts 11 pass through but are secured centrally in rollers 13,'whilethe rear pair of shafts 12 pass centrally through but are secured inspools 14. The depending ends of the shafts 1111 and 12-12 are centrallyreduced to provide rectangular lugs 15 and 15', respectively. The lugs15 and 15 are received in correspondingly shaped notches in the headportions 16 of a pair of front short shafts 17 and in a pair of similarshort rear shafts 18. Th lower extending ends of the shafts are alsoreceived in round open-. ings in the said heads of the short or stubshafts.

The forward and rear pairs of stub shafts 17 and 18 are journaledthrough bearing sleeves 19 which are formed and extend upwardly fromcastings which I will term brackets. These brackets are indicated fordistinction by the numerals 20 and 21 and each of the brackets is in thenature of a hollow or channeled member. The short or stub shafts 17 and18 have reduced ends 22 and 23, respectively that enter the brackets,and the extensions 22 of the front or forward short shafts 17 have eachloosely journaled thereon a flange wheel 24. On the lower face of eachof the flanged wheels 24 there is pivotally secured a dog 25, and thesedogs are designed to engage with the teeth of ratchet wheels 26 that arefixed on the ends 22 of the shafts 17 by removable means 27. Each of theflanged wheels 24 has its hub, adjacent to its upper end peripherallyformed with teeth 29.

Freelyv journaled on the reduced ends 23 of the short shafts 18 thereare flanged wheels 30-which are similar to the flanged wheels 24. Theperipheral teeth on the upper end of the hub portion of the flangedwheels 30 are indicated by the numeral 31 and the pivotally supporteddogs on the under faces of the flanges of the said wheels 30 areindicated by the numeral 32. The dogs 32 are each designed 'to engagewith the teeth of a ratchet wheel 34, and these ratchet wheels arefreely journaled upon reduced extensions 35 that er;- tend from the ends23 of the shafts 18. Spacer discs 36 are arranged upon both of the facesof the ratchet wheels 34, one of these discs providing both a frictionand spacer member between the ratchet wheel 34 and the flange of thewheel 30, while the second or lower disc 36 is contacted by a helicalspring 37 arranged around the shaft extension 35 and held on said shaftextension through the medium of a collar 38 that is fixed on theextension 35 of each of the shafts 18.

As far as the description has progressed it will be seen that theturning of the flanged wheels 24 will impart a direct turning to theshaft 17, and consequently to the rollers13, while the flanged wheels 30maybe turned to a determined extent without turning the spools 14incident to the spring or frictional engagement between the shaft 18 andthe ratchet wheel 34. The importance of this arrangement will bepresently understood and it is thought appreciated.

Centrally arranged between the brackets for the spools and rollers thereare solenoids 39 and 40, respectively. The movable cores of thesesolenoids are indicated by the numerals 41 and 42, respectively. Thecores 41 and 42 are fixed to the central or connecting portions ofsubstantially U-shaped members 43 and 44, respectively. The parallelarms of the e -shaped members 43 and 44 have their outer edges formedwith teeth 45-45. and 4646, respectively, and the teeth on therespective arms of said members 43 and 44 are designed for meshingengagement ith the teeth 29 and 31 on the respective front and rearflanged wheels 24 and 30. The substantially Ll-shaped members or whatmay be termed yokes 43 and 44 are influenced by springs 47,respectively, to normally draw the cores 41 and 42 out of the solenoids39and The wires for the solenoids are connected to a suitable sourceelectricity, either that used as a propelling means for the vehicle 1 orthe battery 43 which is housed in the said vehicle. Reference is nowdirected to Figure 3 of the drawings. The circuit wires between thebattery and solenoids, it will be noted, are connected to electricallyoperated bell '49 and the wires for, the respective solencids ter--bracket end contacts 50 and 51 are con:

nected but are suitably insulated frorn the said bracket. The lower endof the switch lever 53 1s preferably bifurcated and. has iournaledbetween the arms thus provided th shafts of a rcller 56, which isarranged to ride over the inclined faces of the lugs The switch lever 53is normally held in a Vertical direction by providing the'upper end ofthe said switch lever with a finger 58 designed to be received in acentral depressed portion 59 in an arched spring 60 whose ends aresecured to the inner wall of the tion of the bracket 55.

bifurcated por- The spools 14 are designed to have wound therearound theend portions of-a curtain 61; r

The curtain, adjacent to its edges is formed with equioistantly spacedapertures 62. The rollers 13 are preferably flanged, and the curtain 61is directed between the of the said rollers. The rollers areperipherally formed with equidistantly spaced outwardly extending'teeth63 to be received in the aper- The tures-62 of the curtain 61. Byreference to Figure 2 of the drawings it will be seen that the rollers13 are journaled directly to the rear and adjacent to the ends of thesight opening 7 so that the portion of the curtain received between therollers will be retained in a straight position parallel with anddirectly to the rear of the glass in the sight opening 7, so that thenames of stations which are imprinted on the curtain will be clearlydiscernible through the sight opening. I have not deemed it necessary toarrange the names of stations on the curtains but it will, of course, beunderstood that the curtain is inscribed with the name of each stationalong the route traveled by the vehicle and at which stations thevehicle stops to let on and let off passengers.

As previously stated, the switch lever 53 is normally sustained in avertical position and, therefore, in a neutral position with respect tothe contacts and 51. The roller on the outor end of the switch lever isat all times in the path of engagement with the inclined faces of thelugs 4. and when the roller passes over one of these faces the leverwill be swung to bring the same against either of the contacts 50 or 51in accordance with the direction in which the vehicle is traveling. Thiswill energize the electric circuit and will cause one of the solenoids39 or 40 to move its core thereinto, and by so doing will'cause theracks on the arms of the yokes or U-shaped member associated with thecore to turn one of the flanged wheels 24 on one of the rollers 13, andthereby imparting a direct rotary motion to the said roller, causingthis roller to draw on the curtain to bring the name of the stationwhich is imprinted on the curtain next to the sight opening. It is to benoted that when'one of the rollers 13 thus draws on the curtain thesecond roller 13 freely rotates, as the dog25 I thereon merely ratchetsover the ratchet wheel 26, while the spool from which the curtain isunwound will offer a slight resistance to the turning thereof by thespring friction means associated therewith. The spool on which thecurtain is wound will, of course, have its toothed wheel 30 revolved sothat the dog on the flange of the said wheel will turn the ratchet wheel34 and the friction spring between the dog and the stub or short shaft18 will turn the said spool in manner to cause the curtain to be woundthereon without an slack and thus it will be noted that the rollerof theother spool. The bell 49 willbe sounded when the switch lever is swungagainst either of the contacts. The switch lever is returned to initialposition after pass-mg oil of the lug i 14 through the medium ofenergizing springs 57 which have one of their ends attached to eyemembers projecting from the respective contacts 50 and 51 and the secondends are attached to the ends of a hanger 64 suspended from the pivot 54for the switch 53. I The hanger 64 has its ends offset, and arrangedbetween these oifset ends and the side and edges of the switch leverthere are cushionwhen the vehicle is to make its return trip;

By swinging the front or door of the casing to open position accessmaybe readily had to the interior thereof so that any required repairsto the roller and spool driving mechanisms may be easily made or brokenparts repaired. The construction is simple and the operation thereof ispossible, and it is believed the invention will be fully understoodandappredated by those skilled in the art to which the invention relatesafter the foregoing description has been carefully read in connectionwith the accompanying drawings so thatfurther detailed description willnot be required.

If desired and as indicated by the dotted lines in Figure 1 of thedrawings, the throw arm 53, for the circuit maker may extend through asuitable opening through one side of the'vehicle land may be in the pathof engagement with the V-shaped portions 75 on the angle and upper endsof spaced posts 6, the said posts, of course. being suitably spaced fromthe roadbed on which the car travels.

Having described the invention, I claim:

1. In a station indicator for vehicles, spools, a data bearing curtainhaving its ends wound on said spools, a combined guide and drive rollerforward of each spool and over which the curtain is trained, shafts forthe freely journaled on each shaft, pivo tally'supported dogs on theflange of each toothed wheel, ratchet wheels fixed onthe shafts of therollers and engaged by the dogs, ratchet wheels freely journaled on theshafts of the spools and engaged by the dogs of the wheels thereon,springs on said shafts contacting said racks.

2. In a station indicator for vehicles, spools, a data bearing curtainhaving its ends woundon said spools, a combined guide and drive rollerforward of each spool and over rollers and spools, a flanged toothedwheel which the curtain is trained, shafts for the rollers and spools, aflanged toothed wheel freely journaled on each shaft, pivotallysupported dogs on the flange of each toothed wheel, ratchet wheels fixedon the shafts of 7 pairs of spools and rollers, solenoids having coresconnected to the toothed racks, and said solenoids being wired to anormally open circuit, and switch operated means carried by the vehiclefor closing either of said circuits.

3. In a station indicator for vehicles, spools, a data bearing curtainhaving its ends wound on said spools, a combined guide "and drive rollerforward of each spool and over which the curtain is trained, shafts forthe rollers and spools, a flanged toothed wheel freely journaled on eachshaft, pivotally supported dogs on the flange of each toothed wheel,ratchet wheels fixed on the shafts of the rollers and engaged by thedogs, ratchet wheels freely journaled on the shafts of the spools andengaged by the dogs of the wheels thereon, springs on said shaftscontacting with the ratchet wheels, stop elements on the shaftssupporting the springs, toothed racks engaging the toothed wheels on therespective pairs of spools and rollers, solenoids having cores connectedto the toothed racks, and said solenoids being wired to a normally opencircuit, an alarm in said circuit, a pivotally supported switch membercarried by the vehicle, spring means normally holding the switch memberpendent, and fixed angle lugs in the path of contact with the switchmember for swinging the same to close either of said circuits. 7

4:. In a station indicator for vehicles, a casing having a sight openingtherein, a pair of spaced-spools in the casing adjacent to the therollers engaged by the dogs of the flanged wheels thereon, looselymounted ratchet Wheels on the short shafts for the spools engaged by theratchet wheels of the flanged wheels thereof, friction springs on saidshafts contacting with the ratchet wheels, holding.

means for the friction springs, solenoids in the casing, cores therefor,avsubstantially U-shaped rack connected with each core, spring meansinfluencing the cores outward of the solenoids, and the rack engagingwith V GYULA PUSKASL ends and at the rear thereof, a perforated databearing curtain having its-ends wound around the spools, shafts for thespools, yieldable bearings for the upper ends of the shafts, a combinedguide and drive roller in the casing arranged forward of each spool andsaid rollers having projecting pins to be received in the apertures ofthe curtain and to hold a portion of the curtain in a straight conditionto the rear of the sight opening, yieldable bearings in which the upperends of the shafts are journaled, short shafts journaled in bearings andhaving removable interlocking engagement with the lower ends of thecurtain and roller shafts, a flanged wheel freely journaled on each ofthe short shafts and having a hub portion which is peripherally toothed,pivoted dogs on the flanged wheels,

- fixed ratchet wheels on the short shafts for

